HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Rise in PSA and asymmetrical on DRE

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/28/2013 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
(60 yrs old) Recently my test results from my PSA rose from 4.2-8.6 (January) and just went to a Urologist and he said I had an enlarged prostate and slightly assymmetrical.
I am very nervous and scared about the results.
No family history of prostate cancer but father has BPH
Posted 4/28/2013 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW. Sorry you need to be here but it's a great place to be. Ask all the questions you want.

Those aren't the results you want to get. Has your Uro recommended a biopsy? Clearly something is going on and needs some more tests.

The thing with a jump in PSA is that it could be a number of things: Infection, BPH, a bad day at the lab and cancer is the last thing on the list.

First thing would be to wait a week or two and get another PSA to confirm the result and then a course of anitbotics to see if there is some infection.

Hang in. This is scary but you'll make it through.
All the best,
Andrew
Posted 4/28/2013 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
What did the urologist say about the High psa The more information we receive from you that better we will be able to help you. Try not to panic. What was the time frame of your psa test, meaning how long between the 4.2 and 8.6. A biopsy , in my view , would be appropriate, if antibiotics do not bring the psa down, but not until then. A biopsy is more invasive that most would like, but it does not hurt, at least it didn't hurt me, but the invasiveness for some is uncomfortable. I f the worse did happen and you are diagnose with PCA, it has probably been caught early enough to be " cured" I put the term in quotes, be cause there is controversy aver the term. Read Patrick walshes book on PCA, study it, the early chapters especially, so as to have the knowledge to self advocate and and have a somewhat equal footing with the urologist. You DoNot have a death sentence with this development, but it cannot be ignored, at this point. ps I don't think a psa in two weeks will change things significantly. Antibiotics is the next step and that could change things dramatically, one way or the tother
Posted 4/28/2013 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
hello guy

just found the chat room you guys are awesome, since I found you guys, i'm learning to handle my emotions.

my psa is 13 my  ICD 9. going for ct scan pelvic & abdomen

full body bone scan. i'm 66 wt 190 & bmi 18percent. never stayed over night in a hospital, never had any health problem needless to say when, I got diagnosed, this hit me like a ton of bricks,been on a emotional  roller coaster

got a good family(awesome wife & children & church), close friends so I have a lot of support.

 see the DR. on 2may, for results. i'm planning for the worst but praying for the best.had 6 biopsy 2 were 4+ 5 1 was 4+4 1was 3+4 2 were beign.

trying to get my head around the gleason numbers. any or comments or help understanding the numbers.

again thank god for the website

                                                     BARRY

Posted 4/28/2013 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Barry,

Welcome to the forum. Sorry you need to be here but you've found a good place to hang out while you get your head wrapped around your problem.

I've started a new thread for you so people can say hello without bothering Gordee.
Posted 4/28/2013 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
gordee09 - if the next PSA shows no improvement, definitely do the biopsy. Some posters will have recommendations on other tests that can predict whether you need a biopsy.

Depending on the resultant Gleason score, do the bone scan too. My primary urologist did a good job scheduling the biopsy due to the doubling rate, not the raw PSA score per se, similar to you <10, in my case way less.

He tried to save me some $$ thinking that bone scans always come back normal with these metrics.

Luckily my second opinion Urologist demanded a bone scan and a pelvic CT scan and found I was that rare 1% that had bone metastases at initial diagnosis.

Hopefully that is not the case with you, but regardless get your arms and head around what you are up against early in the game.

However, after you do that, take the time to figure out the remedy rather than immediately going after whatever your doctor recommends.

this forum and another called Inspire.com are great ways to do that. Check out some of the other threads on these boards that will point you to even more resources.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Posted 4/29/2013 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
Just got my PSA back after a visit with the Urologist and it was 9.2. Have booked a biopsie for June....
January 2013 was 8.6...April 9.2 (Sept 2012 was 4.2)
Not great news....Yikes....

Post Edited (gordee09) : 4/29/2013 11:20:03 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/29/2013 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Gordee that seems to be an incredibly fast PSA increase over a very short period of time, and hopefully others with more knowledge will chime in - but from what I understand that sounds more like an infection than anything else. IMHO you should push back, hard, at your urologist about treating for infection before considering a biopsy.
Posted 4/29/2013 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know about pushing back hard but there is time for a couple of weeks of antibiotics and a retest before the biopsy date. Ask your urologist about doing that while you wait for the biopsy. With that PSA and a questionable DRE result I would hate to tell you to wait on the biopsy but you can check for an infection anyway.
Posted 4/29/2013 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
A biopsy will tell the tale. Good luck.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply